As you might guess from its name, the feather star looks like a starfish that has legs made of feathers. With its graceful movements and magical appearance, it looks more like a creature from a sci-fi movie than the Earth’s actual ocean.

Despite it’s name, the feathery animal is not a type of sea star: It is actually a type of creature called a crinoid.

There are two types of crinoids, one of which is the free-floating feather stars, like the one above. The other type, known as the “sea lily,” has a stalk that keeps it attached to the sea floor.

There are 600 species of crinoid, and many different types of feather stars.